


Stay

by sunsetdawn20



Category: Unter Uns
Genre: Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Ringo is still Ringo but also ridiculously in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-16 06:23:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14158728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunsetdawn20/pseuds/sunsetdawn20
Summary: Even though things are going great, Ringo can't help but be afraid Easy might leave him again. So he does what he does best: he assesses the situation, makes plans, follows through.





	Stay

Ringo expects the feeling to fade – this crushing panic that Easy might change his mind and leave again – but even days, weeks later, despite Easy’s reassuring smiles, dread keeps flaring up in Ringo’s chest at the most unexpected times.

There are too many reminders of just how unlikely Easy’s forgiveness is.

The lack of customers at the kiosk after the weeks of being closed for business. The shitty photo jobs Easy somehow manages to complain about without openly blaming Ringo for his situation. And their friends’ reactions – even those who seem happy enough they’ve made up, seem to keep an eye on him, just in case. And Ringo can’t even really blame them.

And he’s afraid. He’s afraid that despite his best efforts he might not be enough for Easy.

So he does what he does best.

They way Ringo sees it, there are three fronts he needs to make sure their relationship isn’t vulnerable to attacks on. First of all, he needs to make sure their friends don’t even think of ever warning Easy against him again, and for this he knows he has to show open affection in front of everyone as often as possible. It takes effort at first, for someone as private as him it’s not self-evident to kiss in front of others, or to let the full depth of his emotions show on his face. But he does it anyway, and tries to deal with the annoyance of Tobias’ sarcasm, Bambi’s confusion, Elli’s warm joy and Paco’s soft teasing, by picturing Easy’s faint, glowing surprise every time Ringo stands by the force of this love between them. What he doesn’t expect is how good it starts to feel despite the audience, linking his fingers with Easy on their way to work in the morning, sharing private smiles during dinner, gently demanding kisses every time Easy has to go somewhere without him. Half the time he almost forgets anyone else is there, all he can see is Easy and somehow nothing else matters.

The second, and most critical question, is Easy’s career. He never hides his frustration with his crappy jobs, but whenever Ringo tried to apologize in the first few days, Easy effectively shut him up with a kiss. He never complains to make Ringo feel guilty, and that’s baffling to Ringo. So Ringo makes calls in secret, tries to get in touch with anyone he’s met at uni who might know someone in the business, and arranges dates for them to places where Easy might run into people who might get him new jobs. He always acts surprised when that happens, and quietly smiles at Easy’s beaming excitement. It’s slow progress, and guilt is never far away, and Ringo is too new to that particular emotion to know how to handle it, but it’s getting better and he’s slowly allowing himself to be hopeful.

The simplest part of it all, is making sure Easy never has reason for regret, never has the chance to doubt Ringo’s love for him. It takes no effort to shower Easy in affection when it’s just them, because Ringo never learned how to keep emotions of this magnitude under control. It keeps pouring out of him, this endless want he has for Easy. He can’t get through the day without texting him, even if just about groceries. Sometimes it’s as trivial as sending Easy sarcastic live commentary about that middle-aged man trying to pick up teenage girls at the gym, who Ringo and Paco are secretly keeping an eye on to make sure he never crosses the line between ridiculous and creepy. Somehow it feels like no matter how insignificant, he wants to share everything that happens to him with Easy. More often than not he goes to the kiosk during his lunch break and eats his salad watching Easy serve hot dogs to regulars. Sometimes, when the lunch rush gets too crazy, he even helps, and only complains half-heartedly.

They’re not living together yet, but it’s all he can sometimes think about, because this whole dance of whose apartment they’d spend the night at got old real fast, especially because it means there’s always the possibility, Easy might try to be considerate and make them sleep in separate beds so he won’t wake Ringo in the morning, and those nights Ringo can’t sleep at all and is cranky all of the following day. So every time they spend the night together, Ringo makes sure to give Easy plenty of reasons never to want to leave his bed ever again.

“I know what you’re doing, you know,” Easy says softly, running his fingers through Ringo’s hair as they’re lying in Easy’s bed, facing each other.

Ringo has his eyes closed, distracted, because when he focuses he can still feel Easy’s touches all over his skin.

“Hm?” he hums softly, snuggling closer, brushing his nose against Easy’s cheek.

“I know you, Ringo. And I’m not blind, well, not anymore,” Easy says with a soft laugh but the words make Ringo tense up. He carefully opens his eyes, and draws back just a little.

“Are you angry with me?”

Easy frowns. “Why would I…? You’re an idiot,” he says gently and pulls Ringo closer again. “I’ve never met anyone who worked so hard on a relationship.”

Ringo tries to relax back into Easy’s embrace but he finds it hard.

“So. We’re good?” He can’t keep the nervousness out of his voice.

Easy looks into his eyes and says: “Ringo, I’m not angry, I just wish you didn’t feel the need to work so hard on making me want you. I already do. More than you know.”

Ringo nods and lets out a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding. He leans over Easy and starts kissing him, feeling his own tenseness slowly disappear. Easy is smiling happily into the kiss and runs his hand along Ringo’s spine. _I love you_ , is the one thought Ringo can hear inside his own head, but instead he pulls ever so slightly away and grins against Easy’s lips:

“Does that mean I should stop trying to get you new photo jobs?”

“That’s absolutely not what that means,” Easy laughs and pokes him in the side. “But how about next time you take me to a photo exhibition you don’t make it look like a last minute accidental idea so that I can act like a professional and not like the lovesick fool I am, who only has eyes for his beautiful boyfriend?”

Ringo hopes he’s not blushing at the words, but just in case he hides his face against Easy’s neck and kisses the warm skin softly:

“That can be arranged, I think.”


End file.
